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British Literature > Intro Notes > Flashcards

Intro Notes Flashcards

1
Q

What time were the Middle Ages ?

A

450-1485

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2
Q

What does the term Middle Ages itself implies ?

A

A barren interval between two great eras of achievement

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3
Q

What are the 2 eras ?

A

Classical Rome and the Renaissance

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4
Q

What was the accurate assessment of the Middle Ages ?

A

It was a time of dynamic change

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5
Q

Who named it the dark ages who were hostile to all religious faith ?

A

The 18th century rationalist

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6
Q

Pockets with true Christianity existed with what ?

A

Both within and without the Roman Church

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7
Q

What happened after the Norman invasion in 1066 ?

A

Political change grew gradually from within

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8
Q

What was the language of the ruling class and business after the Norman invasion ?

A

French

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9
Q

What are 2 major contributions ?

A

The Normans made to English life was a new nobility and a strongly centralized feudal administration

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10
Q

What language had the most impact on old English and is most apparent in ordinary speech and grammar ?

A

Scandinavian

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11
Q

The introduction of what contributed most to old English as a written and spoken language ?

A

Latin alphabet

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12
Q

What influenced the Middle Ages in the church, scholarship, and diplomacy ?

A

Latin

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13
Q

What was the earliest, surviving English poem ?

A

Caedmon’s Hymn

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14
Q

What was the subject of Caedmon’s Hymn ?

A

Creation

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15
Q

Humor in old English poetry as in what form ?

A

Irony and riddles

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16
Q

Alfred concern for an educated leadership and the loose of Latin manuscript of the Vikings raids were the reason for what ?

A

Most old English literature being translated into West Satin dialect

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17
Q

Some common features of old English poetry were what ?

A

Irony, alliterations, and variations

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18
Q

Who invented the first movable-type printing press and printed the Gutenberg Bible in 1940 ?

A

Johannes Gutenberg

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19
Q

Who was known as the venerable because of his reputation for piety and scholarship, a Benedictine monk ?

A

Bede

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20
Q

The E.H of the E.P. is a major source of info about what ?

A

The Anglo-Saxon before the time of Alfred the Great

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21
Q

In Bede’s history, the most accurate description of Caedmon is what ?

A

He was a humble, uneducated man who had the gift of versifying sacred history

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22
Q

What was the purpose of the history ?

A

To chart the spread of Christianity throughout England from Roman times to present (the Christianity was catholicism)

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23
Q

In “Conversion of Edwin”, the three basic philosophical questions alluded to by Edwin’s more spirituality astute counselor deal with what ?

A

The subject of origins, meaning, and destiny

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24
Q

Who uses the illustration of the sparrow to portray the brevity of life ?

A

King Edwin’s counselor

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25
Q

The recurrence of consonant sounds at the beginning of nearby stressed syllables

A

Alliteration

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26
Q

A long, stylized narrative poem celebrating the deeds of a national or ethnic hero

A

Epic

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27
Q

Major pauses within lines

A

Caesuras

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28
Q

The giving of personal characteristics to something that is not person

A

Personification

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29
Q

A metaphoric compound of two words

A

Kenning

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30
Q

A short, melodic, personally expressive poem

A

Lyric poetry

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31
Q

The expression of an idea in a roundabout, more elegant way

A

Periphrastic epithet

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32
Q

The reputation of an idea in different words with the same grammatical form

A

Variation

33
Q

Instruction in Literature

A

Didactic

34
Q

A standard type or category of literature

A

Genre

35
Q

An old English poet or bard

A

Scop

36
Q

A poem of serious reflection for death or loss

A

Elegiac poem

37
Q

Who was the author of Beowulf ?

A

Unknown

38
Q

What is the focus of Beowulf ?

A

An epic poem

39
Q

When was is produced ?

A

During the old English period

40
Q

Where was the setting ?

A

Denmark and Sweden

41
Q

What does it reflects ?

A

Old country origins

42
Q

Why was King Hrothgar and his warriors are afraid to stay in the Mead Hall ?

A

Grendel, an anthropomorphic monster who regularly invades the hall, kills and consumes the Warriors

43
Q

How does Beowulf hear about the plight of the Danes ?

A

From the sailors and decides to go to the aid of them

44
Q

What values does he live by ?

A

Courage
Loyalty
Physical bravery

45
Q

How is he confident ?

A

In his exceptional strength will allow him to save the Danes from Grendel

46
Q

King Hrothgar and his men warmly receive Beowulf and his offer to help. Allow expect who and why ?

A

Unferth and because he was jealous of the attention and adulatory bestowed on Beowulf

47
Q

How does unferth undermine Beowulf ?

A

He undermines the heroes status by incorrectly stating that Beowulf once lost to a swimming race to Breca

48
Q

What did Beowulf point out ?

A

He did not lose the race but defeated sea monsters instead

49
Q

What does Beowulf also state ?

A

If unferth is so great, then why is Grendel still alive ?

50
Q

Where was Beowulf’s battle with Grendel ?

A

In the Mead hall (Herot)

51
Q

Grendel kills and devours one of Beowulf’s Swedish companions. What happened in a hand to hand combat ?

A

Beowulf defeats Grendel by wrenching his arm out of his socket. Grendel is mortally wounded and went home to die

52
Q

Grendel’s mother was bitter and furious that she lost her only son. How does she avenge his death ?

A

She busted in unexpectedly and killed one the King’s favorite warriors

53
Q

Beowulf’s battle w/ Grendel’s mother is different:

A

He must pursue her to her home beneath a deep pool (territory he is not familiar with)
Battles Grendel with bare hands but with his mother, he discovers that supposedly invincible sword, hrunting, that was given by Unferth, fails. He uses a sword he found in the underwater den and destroys the sea troll

54
Q

After completing this mission, Beowulf is given great honor and material rewards, sails back to Sweden and after his uncle passes, he became king of what ?

A

King of the Geats in Southern Sweden

55
Q

After successfully ruling the Geats for 50 years, what was Beowulf confronted with ?

A

The problem of a murderous dragon, his final battle

56
Q

Beowulf’s final wishes

A

To gaze upon the treasure he has won for his people by slaying the dragon, he appoints wiglaf as his successor, instructs the people to bury him on a prominent headland by the sea, so the passing sailors will be reminded of his valorous deeds and his fame will live on

57
Q

Kinsman of Hygelac is who ?

A

Beowulf

58
Q

Fate (the Anglo-Saxon belief and philosophy was that “all men must die”)

A

Wyrd

59
Q

The evidence that Christian elements are inserted is the ?

A

Assertion that Wyrd is providence

60
Q

A national army

A

Fyrd

61
Q

Who is defined by the kenning, “giver of treasure” and why was he happy ?

A

Refers to the Danish King, Hrothgar, and he is happy b/c Beowulf is coming to his rescue to defeat Grendel

62
Q

Beowulf defeats the dragon

A

He wears protective gear b/c he expects the dragon to attack w/ fire and poison

63
Q

Main theme of Beowulf

A

That the continuance of civilization requires virtuous heroes

64
Q

Grendel was an offspring to who

A

Cain

65
Q

What does Beowulf illustrate ?

A

The traditional heroic virtues of fortitude, prudence, loyalty, and generosity

66
Q

The epic has a circular structure

A

It begins and ends w/ the funeral of an aged King

67
Q

What is the traditional aim of the poet ?

A

To teach by delighting

68
Q

Danes are being assaulted by Grendel b/c why ?

A

Of the sin of pride

69
Q

The King most responsible for the initiation of the “Anglo-Saxon Chronicles” was who ?

A

Alfred the Great

70
Q

Who lacked the heroic quality of generosity ?

A

William of Normandy

71
Q

What did William’s “domesday book” record ?

A

The survey of all the property owned in England

72
Q

When King Ethelred died, who chose Edmund as the next King ?

A

The Witan

73
Q

Edmund faced many difficulties in his effort to defend England. The greater mobility of the dames, the unreliability of what ?

A

Of his followers, and conflicting loyalties in the Danelaw

74
Q

As a ruler, William the Conquerer is best described as what ?

A

Severe

75
Q

The English under William valued what ?

A

Tyranny more than Anarchy

76
Q

Who was important to both the defense and determination of policy in England ?

A

London

77
Q

In the riddles about the shield and the weathercock, which are monologues, the attitude is best describe as what ?

A

Resigned

78
Q

An iceberg is considered charming b/c ?

A

It’s beauty tempts sailors to sail closer than is safe

79
Q

In riddle 4, water is both what ?

A

A blessing and a curse

British Literature (9 decks)

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